Vehicles such as automobiles may be used to transport other modes of transportation, such as bicycles, for example. The vehicle may be used to transport the bicycle, for example, for recreational use of the bicycle. As another example, the vehicle may be used to transport the bicycle so that the vehicle and the bicycle provide multi-modal transportation. Multi-modal transportation can include driving the vehicle to a location at which the vehicle may be parked and then driving the bicycle from the vehicle to a final destination. For example, a driver may travel to a work office located in an urban setting congested by commuters by first driving the vehicle to a less congested satellite parking lot remote from the office and driving the bicycle from the vehicle to the office. The bicycle may be more easily and quickly maneuvered in the more congested areas, and at lower cost to the owner and the environment.
The bicycle includes a frame and a pedal assembly for manually pedaling the bicycle. In addition to manual propulsion by pedaling, the bicycle may be an electric bicycle that is propelled electrically, e.g., by battery powered. Accordingly, the driver may selectively pedal the electric bicycle or may ride on the electric bicycle as the electric bicycle is electrically propelled. The pedals may be used, for example, when the driver seeks exercise or when the battery is dead. The electric propulsion may be used, for example, to assist in pedaling when the driver does not want to become heated due to the exercise of pedaling. For example, a driver may use the bicycle with electrical propulsion when the driver is driving to work and does not want to sweat into or wrinkle the clothing of the driver. When electrically propelled, some jurisdictions, e.g., the European Union, requires the driver to constantly provide a certain amount of pedal input to initiate and maintain the electric propulsion. Operation of the electric bicycle such that the electric propulsion of the bicycle only assists manual propulsion, i.e., the electric bicycle may not be operated by only electric propulsion, may be referred to as a pedelec mode.
Packaging bicycles in or on a vehicle during transportation creates difficulties, especially with relatively small vehicles. An interior of a vehicle may be reconfigurable, e.g., seats may be folded, to accommodate a bicycle in the interior of the vehicle. However, the bicycle disadvantageously consumes valuable interior space of the vehicle and can disadvantageously move within the vehicle during unexpected acceleration or deceleration.
Bicycles can alternatively be stored on an exterior of a vehicle during transportation. For example, after-market racks are available for mounting to vehicles and supporting one or more bicycles. However, these after-market racks are expensive to purchase. Assembly of the after-market rack to the vehicle and assembly of the bicycle onto the rack is also disadvantageously time consuming. The rack and the bicycle also disrupts airflow around the vehicle during travel, thereby disadvantageously decreasing fuel economy of the vehicle.
Accordingly, there remains an opportunity to design a device for multi-modal transportation that is easily and compactly integrated with the vehicle.